RELEASE: As Flu Cases Surge Across New Jersey, Gottheimer Announces New Action to Protect Kids and Seniors, Boost Vaccine Access

Above: At Hackensack University Medical Center, Gottheimer addresses New Jersey’s rising flu cases.

HACKENSACK, NJ — Today, January 12, 2026, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) sounded the alarm on rapidly rising flu cases across New Jersey, announced new local, state, and federal action to boost flu vaccine access for families, and demanded the Trump Administration reverse the recent decision to gut the recommended childhood vaccine schedule. Gottheimer was joined by doctors, nurses, public health leaders, and local officials at Hackensack University Medical Center. New Jersey is experiencing one of its worst flu seasons in years. 

• Flu cases statewide have more than doubled compared to this time last year — rising from roughly 5,500 cases to more than 12,000.

• Hospitalizations have increased more than fourfold, from about 127 to more than 550. 
• Nearly half of reported flu cases in New Jersey have involved children, while most hospitalizations have been among seniors over the age of 65.
• Tragically, just days ago, a young child in North Jersey died from the flu.

Video of Gottheimer’s announcement can be found here.

“We are here today for a very simple reason — and it could not be more urgent:  This flu season is particularly deadly, and we need more people to get their flu shots,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “Again, let me be as clear as day: Politicians should not overrule doctors. Ideology should never replace science. And when families get confused, fewer kids get vaccinated — and more kids end up in hospitals like this one.” 

To address the crisis and expand access to lifesaving vaccines, Gottheimer announced the following new actions:

• The FIGHT FLU Act: Gottheimer announced new federal legislation, the Federal Investment in Grants for Health Transportation and Flu-vaccination Local Units (FIGHT FLU) Act, to allow states to claw back federal resources to create or expand mobile flu vaccine clinics, bringing flu shots directly into communities and removing barriers to access.

• Boosting Mobile Flu Shot Clinics in North Jersey: Gottheimer called on the Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex County Health Departments to deploy mobile flu vaccine clinics across the Fifth District, in partnership with local hospitals where needed.

• Expanding New Jersey’s Flu Shot Education: Gottheimer called for the State of New Jersey to significantly ramp up its flu vaccination education campaign, particularly for families with young children and for seniors, and ensure families know the importance of getting vaccinated for the flu and other preventable diseases like the measles.

• Demanding the Trump Administration Restore the Successful Childhood Vaccine Schedule: Gottheimer and more than 100 Members of Congress wrote to the Trump Administration and Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., demanding the restoration of the previous, successful childhood immunization schedule. This followed the Secretary Kennedy-led CDC announcing they will gut the childhood immunization schedule and reduce the number of universally recommended vaccines without substantive input from relevant scientific and medical experts. 

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the flu has already caused more than 15 million illnesses and 180,000 hospitalizations this season, with 45 states experiencing high to very high flu activity. Despite the severity of the outbreak, only about 42% of Americans have received a flu shot this season.

Gottheimer emphasized that flu shots are free with insurance at local pharmacies or doctors’ offices, and available at no cost for uninsured families through state and federally funded programs. Information on free vaccination sites can be found at NJ.gov/health.

Gottheimer was joined by Dr. Lisa Tank, Chief Hospital Executive at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC); Dr. Joseph Underwood, Chief Medical Officer at HUMC; Acting New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Jeffrey Brown; Bergen County Commissioner Rafael Marte; Sonali Limaye of the Bergen County Department of Health Services; and frontline health care workers.

Below: Gottheimer stands with health care professionals and public officials to sound the alarm on rising flu cases. 

Gottheimer’s full remarks as prepared for delivery are below:

It is great to be back here at Hackensack University Medical Center — one of the top hospitals in the country, and a place that represents the very best of Jersey: world-class care, incredible doctors, nurses, and techs, and a simple mission — to save lives. You are on the front lines every single day. When the rest of us are heading home, you are still here — caring for our kids, our parents, and our grandparents. Jersey has your back, because you always have ours.

We are here today for a very simple reason — and it could not be more urgent:

This flu season is particularly deadly, and we need more people to get their flu shots.  Vaccines aren’t Democrat or Republican – there shouldn’t be anything partisan or ideological about them. The government shouldn’t discourage children and families from getting them, when scientists and doctors recommend them.  Vaccines are about keeping people alive and protected.

Right now, we are in the middle of one of the worst flu seasons we have seen in years — and it’s hitting Jersey and our region especially hard.

As of today, flu cases in New Jersey have more than doubled compared to this time last year — from about 5,500 cases to more than 12,000 cases already this season. Hospitalizations are up more than four times from last year — from about 127 to more than 550. The flu also contributed to a major rise in absences in K-12 schools over the past few weeks.

And, tragically, just days ago, a young child here in North Jersey died from the flu. That is every parent’s worst nightmare. It should stop every one of us in our tracks, and it’s why we must ensure that children and seniors have had their shot.

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the flu has already caused more than 15 million illnesses and 180,000 hospitalizations this season. 45 states are experiencing high to very high flu activity. Nearly one in ten doctor visits nationwide right now are for flu-like illness — the highest level since tracking began nearly 30 years ago.

And yet — despite all of this — only about 42 percent of Americans have gotten a flu shot this season.

We need to change that! 

Here in Jersey, about half of all flu cases have involved children, while most hospitalizations have been among seniors over the age of 65. These are the people we are supposed to protect the most: our kids and our parents. The CDC reported in 2024 that 90 percent of children who died from the flu were not fully vaccinated. 

So, if you hear one thing today, hear this: If you have not gotten your flu shot — get it. If your kids have not gotten their flu shot — get them vaccinated. And if you know someone who is older or immunocompromised — help them get protected.

Because this is not just about you, this is about all of us.

That is why today, I am taking action on several fronts — here at home in Jersey and in Congress to protect our families, and help ensure more people can immediately get the flu shot. 

First, I’m introducing new federal legislation called the FIGHT FLU Act — Federal Investment in Grants for Health Transportation and Flu-vaccination Local Units Act. This commonsense bill will let states like Jersey claw back federal resources to create or expand mobile flu vaccine clinics, bringing shots directly into communities — to seniors, to working families, and to children — instead of making people jump through hoops to get protected. People are busy and can’t always get to their doctor, to a CVS, or Walgreens. Getting a free flu shot should be as easy as 1-2-3 – no bureaucracy, no barriers. 

Right now, only a couple of counties in Jersey have mobile flu clinics — in Essex and Hudson Counties. If access is the barrier, then we need to bring health care to people — not expect them to fight traffic, miss work, or skip care altogether. The FIGHT FLU Act is about improving access and making it easier to save lives.

Second, I am calling on the Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex County health departments — the counties I represent — to deploy mobile flu vaccine clinics across my District. If they do not have mobile trucks, I am asking them to partner with local hospitals to get units across North Jersey and protect our families.

Third, I am working with the State of New Jersey to ensure that they significantly ramp up their flu vaccination education campaign, especially for families with young children and our seniors.  

People need to know the dangers, and not buy into some social media disinformation campaigns discouraging families from getting a flu shot – or other critical vaccines like the measles or COVID-19. 

The state already has great tools — information in multiple languages, community clinics, and no-cost vaccines for families who need them. But, we need to reach more people, and do so urgently. When fewer than half of Americans are vaccinated in a season this dangerous, we have a problem.

Everyone right here in New Jersey needs to know that if you have insurance, you can get your flu shot for free at a pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens around the corner or by booking an appointment with your doctor or a local clinic. If you don’t have insurance, the flu shot is available to you for free through the Vaccines for Children of the 317-funded programs. You can find an eligible clinic on NJ.gov/health. 

No family should skip a vaccine because they did not know where to go or thought they could not afford it.

Finally — and this is critical — I am fighting back against dangerous changes coming out of Washington that undermine vaccine confidence and put kids at risk.

Shockingly, just last week, under President Trump’s administration, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, slashed the number of recommended childhood vaccines — including vaccines that protect against the flu, COVID-19, RSV, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B — bypassing medical experts. 

These routine vaccinations have prevented nearly 2 million hospitalizations and more than 90,000 deaths in the past 30 years, according to the CDC. The new recommendations are not based on science and will create uncertainty, confusion, and breed conspiracy theories. A decrease in immunizations will lead to increased child deaths and hospitalizations. This is in addition to their reckless decision to end the universal recommendation of Hepatitis B vaccine for newborns and to send mixed messages about the measles vaccine. And Kennedy and HHS did it without any new evidence prompting the change. 

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through the air and affects the respiratory system. Before vaccines, it was a common — and often serious — childhood illness. Of all childhood diseases that cause fever and rash, measles is the deadliest. In 2025, there were a staggering 2,144 confirmed cases of measles — that is a 752 percent increase from the 285 confirmed cases in 2024 and the highest confirmed cases of measles in more than 30 years. Just two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (or the MMR) vaccine protect 97 percent of people from getting measles. 

But, vaccination rates have dropped below what health experts say is needed to head off outbreaks. The 2025-2026 flu season is on track to be one of the worst in decades, already taking the lives of 17 children. Roughly 90 percent of children who died from the flu last year were not vaccinated. There is no evidence showing the flu vaccine causes harm to children — but overwhelming evidence that skipping it costs lives.

That is vile. And it is reckless.

Again, let me be as clear as day: Politicians should not overrule doctors. Ideology should never replace science.

Last week, right after Kennedy’s news on the flu and COVID-19 vaccines, I joined more than one hundred of my colleagues in writing to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, demanding that they reverse the decision to gut the childhood immunization schedule and restore science-based guidance.

When Washington sends mixed messages, families get confused. And when families get confused, fewer kids get vaccinated — and more kids end up in hospitals like this one.

That is why I’m demanding the Administration reverse course, restore the previous childhood immunization schedule, and put doctors and scientists — not extremists — back in charge of public health decisions.

Here is the truth: Vaccines are one of the greatest public health successes in history. They have saved millions of lives, lowered health care costs, and kept families whole. Undermining them does not make us safer — it puts us all at risk.

So today, standing here at Hackensack University Medical Center, I want to thank every health care worker who is fighting this flu surge head-on. I want to thank every parent who is doing the right thing and getting their kids vaccinated. And I want to promise this:

I will keep fighting — to protect science, to protect families, and to protect Jersey. Protecting kids should never be controversial. There shouldn’t be anything partisan about it. 

If we do that — if we listen to doctors, look out for one another, and stand up for our kids — I know this: here in the greatest country in the world, our best days will always be ahead of us.

God bless you, God bless our health care workers, and God bless the United States of America.

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